How to Block Annoying Notifications in Chrome

Article Summary

• Turning off alerts:  You can turn off unwanted alerts in about a minute by opening Chrome settings and telling websites they are no longer allowed to reach you.
• Slowing down: Most notification spam starts with one accidental tap on the word Allow, so slowing down before you click saves you a lot of bother later.
• Switching off Autoplay: Autoplay videos can be muted in the same settings area by switching off the sound or by adding a free browser extension.

The average smartphone user receives roughly 46 push notifications daily. That can become annoying if you’re someone who uses your phone often, and even if you don’t, being bombarded with notifications the entire time can be a hassle. But it isn’t only phone users who have to deal with irksome pop-up notifications. 

In fact, on average, office workers field over 150 daily message interruptions on their computers. So, if you dabble in working from home, you may also want to learn how to block annoying notifications in Chrome. 

Fortunately, our team at My Computer Works has put together this guide teaching you how to switch them off. So, whether you want to stop them popping up on your mobile device or your computer, you’ll learn how today.

Why Websites Ask For Notification Permissions

The reason websites send you annoying notifications in the first place is to reach you even when their page is closed. What we mean by this is that, for example, a news site may want to tell you about a breaking news story, or a shopping site may want to mention a sale you might be interested in. 

Of course, a few of these alerts can be handy, but many are only advertising disguised as useful alerts. Fortunately, learning to turn off browser notifications puts you back in charge of what pops up on your screen. 

Be Careful What You Click! Accidental Clicks Can Create Notification Spam

To even get notifications, you would have to allow them when a website asks, and you may often accidentally accept them without realizing it. This is because most websites will ask you to accept notifications as soon as their page loads. 

You’ll know it when you see it as a small box appears near the top asking for permission, and the word ‘Allow’ usually sits right where your mouse already rests or where your finger is near. All it takes is one quick tap, and you allow the site to send you alerts at any hour. 

Before you know it, if you click Allow across multiple sites, you’ll be getting near-constant notification pop-ups in Chrome. Luckily, you can remove spam notifications in Chrome in a minute or two; you didn’t click ‘Allow’ forever. It’s also on this same settings page where you’ll stop Chrome pop-ups that keep asking you to allow notifications. 

How To Block All Website Notifications

If you want to block Chrome notifications for good, here are the steps you’ll take for a Windows computer: 

1. Open Chrome and click the three dots in the top right corner.
2. Find and click Settings.
3. Then, in the left sidebar, click Privacy and security.
4. Afterwards, click Site settings.
5. Then scroll down and click Notifications.
6. Now choose Don’t allow sites to send notifications.

That last choice lets you disable website notifications in Chrome from every site at once. No website can interrupt you again unless you decide to let one back in.

Now, if you want to block annoying notifications in Chrome for your mobile device, you’ll follow these three steps: 

1. Open Chrome and tap the three dots.
2. Go to Settings, then Site settings.
3. Tap Notifications and turn them off for unwanted sites.

It really is that easy to remove Chrome notifications on a mobile device.  

Managing Notification Settings On Windows

If you still want to receive a few notifications from select sites while blocking others, you can manage these alerts on Windows one at a time. To do this, head to the heading ‘Allowed to send notifications’ and find the site you want to receive notifications from or block. Once you find the site, click the three dots beside its name and choose Remove or Block. 

If You Still Want A Few Alerts

If you still want a few alerts but don’t want them as intrusive, you can turn on a bell notification icon that appears next to a web address instead of a giant box in your face on every new site. Then, if you want to receive notifications from a website, you need only click the bell, and if you want to continue to stop browser pop-ups, simply leave it alone. 

How To Stop Autoplay Videos

Another annoyance is autoplay videos. Some sites will use these instead of notifications in Chrome. These videos usually start the moment a page loads, which can be incredibly frustrating, especially if it happens often. If you want to stop autoplay videos in Chrome by muting the sound, this is what you need to do: 

1. Click the three dots in the top right, then click Settings.
2. Go to Privacy and security, then Site settings.
3. Scroll down and click Additional content settings, then Sound.
4. Choose Don’t allow sites to play sound.

These settings stop websites from playing sound automatically, but Chrome may still allow some videos to autoplay silently depending on the website and your browsing activity. If you want a little more control, a free add-on called Turn Off the Lights can manage sound and video for you. It suits folks who watch a lot of clips and want one button to handle them.

Still Getting Interruptions? We Can Help

If the options for stopping annoying pop-up notifications feel like a maze you don’t know how to navigate or the alerts keep creeping back no matter what you do, the team at My Computer Works can sort it out for you. Our Remote Computer Repair service lets a friendly technician connect to your screen and fix the trouble while you watch. It is part of the everyday Home Computer Support we offer, so you can get back to your email and your video calls without a single pop-up in the way.